Town Square

What's with SOME bike riders around Ptown lately?!

Original post made
by MiffedPtownDriver, Downtown,
on Oct 5, 2009

In less than two days, it's been an almost unfortunate and always frustrating situation when some (not all), bike riders just either forget, disregard or plain don't know the rules when riding in the road with motor vehicles that far outweigh them, which could mean a disastrous result mostly for the bike rider. As we were crossing Bernal from one of the developments, a boy about 9 or 10 years old came down the sidewalk. He wasn't wearing a helmet and to our shock didn't stop at the crosswalk and came very close to being hit by our car. Luckily we were going slow enough for him to dodge the car by turning out of the way. I didn't notice any parents who may have been far behind him at the time. Then, riding through downtown Pleasanton, and stoping at the "T" intersection right in front of some downtown establishments, as I get ready to turn left onto Main, an adult bike rider just continues to bike down Main St., coming from my rightside, where I believe there was a red light and cars were stopped, peddling into my turning path and I guess he knew he was wrong when he waved and continued riding at a fairly fast pace. First, is there a place where people can get rules regarding bike riding. I really need them as a automobile driver. Also, is it still the LAW that helmets are required, or did that change? Thankfully no one was hurt, although it was close enough.

Posted by Julie
a resident of Another Pleasanton neighborhood
on Oct 5, 2009 at 8:42 pmJulie is a registered user.

I feel your pain. I am totally willing to share the road with cyclists who OBEY THE TRAFFIC RULES. Some (not all) want equal rights to the road without equally following the rules. I came up on a red light at Main & Ray. The cyclist next to me, seeing that no one was coming down Ray, zoomed right across the intersection.

Posted by ei
a resident of Birdland
on Oct 6, 2009 at 8:37 amei is a registered user.

Many times on Sunday morning when I drive down Stanley from Pleasanton to Livermore, I am suddenly confronted with cyclists who clog the road instead of using the designated bike path. Why are cyclists allowed to use the road when there is a paved bike path that was built for them? This is a dangerous situation and it won't be long before we hear of another accident.

Posted by RBS262
a resident of another community
on Oct 6, 2009 at 8:44 amRBS262 is a registered user.

This is a 'double-edged sword'. First off, I agree that not ALL cyclists obey the traffic laws (which grant them the same rights as motorists) but do ALL motorists obey these same traffic laws. I am in no way condoning my fellow cyclists disobeying the law however, as individuals post on this topic, please mindful of your own driving habits...are you coming to a full and complete stop at all stop signs, not talking on your cell phone without a hands-free device, obeying the posted speed limit...etc???

Posted by DigitalFlack
a resident of Stoneridge Park
on Oct 6, 2009 at 9:44 amDigitalFlack is a registered user.

Questions:

Where are the rules for the road for bicycles? I went into the DMV last year and asked if they had any booklets for bike riders. The state employee behind the welcome desk adroitly pointed out that the M in DMV stands for Department of Motor Vehicles. I asked him why then can the police take my DMV issued license for breaking a traffic law on a bike.

I' also like to suggest that the biking community not be lumped as a whole....

Some different groups:
- kids on two wheels (12-15)
- serious cyclists, usually in Spandex, acting like motor vehicles in teh turning lane
- Some category for adults in the twiixt group
- Seniors, lets just say 60+, but people who don't have the agility or balance of groups 2 and 3.

Do you really except the kids and seniors to pedal down Stoneridge in the bike lane at 8 MPH with cars doing 50 MPH - just three feet away?

Everybody should follow the rules, helmets, walk bikes in cross walks if you are being a pedestrian bike, and stop and traffic signals.... but please don't get angry at the citizen bringing home groceries in their front basket on the sidewalk on Valley. It may be their only transportation, and you might not want them behind the wheel of a motorized vehicle.

Posted by Get the facts
a resident of Another Pleasanton neighborhood
on Oct 6, 2009 at 4:33 pmGet the facts is a registered user.

I believe the law states that kids up to 18 have to wear helmets, but not older. (In Palo Alto, a city ordinance prohibits anyone to ride a bike without a helmet.)

Here are my favorite things I have experienced:

-Kids wearing helmets without the chin-strap buckled. Hey kids, why bother wearing them if you're not going to have them on right? It's like a decaffinated coffee: what's the point?

-Parents out for a ride with their kids, but not wearing helmets themselves. Great job setting the example for your kids!

-Riders wearing iPods while cycling.

-One foggy morning while driving on Foothill Rd, I had to slow down on a hill due to a half-dozen or so bike riders who were chugging up the hill. No way in the fog was I going to cross the double-yellow line to get around the cyclists. But despite my efforts to drive cautiously for the sake of the riders ahead of me, another rider behind me caught up to me and crossed the double-yellow and passed me on my left! There is no shoulder on either side of the road in this stretch of Foothill. If I didn't have a carload of kids I was trying to set an example for, I would have pulled over and given this guy a piece of my mind.

Bottom line, like in every walk of life, there are people who think they are invincible. Too bad for the many, many safe riders out there that a percentage of you give all of you a bad name.